Exchanging Gifts
by McManda627
Summary: Pure Christmas smut. Bella takes Edward's suggestion for his Christmas present to heart and it turns out it's a gift both of them can enjoy. Previously a one-shot, now complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine, never was, never will be. I'm only playing.

**December 15th**

The snow flew outside, and I was thankful that I had no reason to be out in it. Instead, I was perfectly content to be curled into Edward's side, book in hand and fire in the fireplace. It was a perfect way to spend such a cold December day, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

He shifted underneath me, and I lifted my weight slightly. "Am I too heavy?"

He laughed softly. "God, no. I love having you by me like this."

I settled into him more firmly, savoring his closeness. We sat like that for a long time, content to just be in each other's presence when I finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Edward?"

"Hum?"

"I was thinking about Christmas. It's soon."

He laughed at my blatant statement. "Yes it is."

"I was thinking about what you might want for Christmas."

He sighed. "Bella …" he said, almost warningly.

I looked up at him and his eyes softened. "I don't need anything for Christmas," he said simply.

"We're not going to exchange gifts this year?"

He rolled his eyes slightly. "Bella, in order for us to exchange gifts, you would have to be willing to accept one. And you've already told me in no uncertain terms that you didn't want anything for Christmas."

"That's never stopped you before," I huffed. "I always tell you not to get me anything, and somehow I always end up with at least one present from you."

He laughed lightly at the truth in my statement and then lowered his head to whisper in my ear, "I don't need anything."

His breath on my ear made me shiver slightly, but I wasn't easily swayed. I turned my head to look at him. "I'm not asking if you need anything. I'm asking you what you want. For Christmas."

His eyes held mine for a long moment before he dipped his head and kissed me. "You. I want you. For Christmas. For New Year. For always."

The conviction in is voice made me slightly weak, and I was glad that I was sitting on the couch. "You already have me. Nice try, though."

I was slightly annoyed, despite feeling warm and fuzzy from his declaration. I felt like he was mocking me by refusing gifts just like I did. For a moment, I felt bad about all the times I had told him the same thing, but my remorse was quickly replaced with what I considered to be sound reasoning. It was true. I didn't need gifts. I didn't need anyone to spend money on me. I had everything that I wanted.

I sighed. "Anything else? Anything at all?"

He shook his head slowly and focused his eyes on my mouth, the corner of his mouth curving upward. I blushed slightly. I knew that look. My breath caught seconds before his mouth crashed into mine once more, reinforcing his earlier statements about wanting me.

* * *

**December 24th**

I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, making final adjustments before Edward got home. I knew he hated working Christmas Eve, but he did anyway. It was the one major holiday he worked. He was always home around 8, so we didn't get to do dinner, but we had the rest of the night together. It wasn't exactly ideal, but I could live with it.

I had taken Edward's suggestion of what to get him for Christmas to heart. This Christmas, he was going to get me. In any way that he wanted. I didn't really consider it much of a gift, because he already had me in whatever way he wanted. Whenever I tried to point that out, however, he didn't seem to listen.

Which worked fine for me. I wasn't going to complain. This was a gift that I could enjoy as much as he did.

Our sex life wasn't boring by any means. We understood each other, and we weren't opposed to trying new things, so I was fairly confident in whatever he decided to suggest this evening. I didn't want to suggest one mood over the other, though. This was his gift, after all.

But that hadn't stopped me from creating a certain Christmas atmosphere. I had lit red candles in various places around our bedroom and even went so far as to string up a sprig of mistletoe in the doorway to the bathroom. I wasn't sure if it was going to be useful or not, but I liked the way it looked anyway.

My biggest Christmas investment was my attire. The red triangle halter bra covered just the swell of my breasts, tying in the front. The skirted boy shorts sat low on my hips and were gartered to candy cane striped thigh highs. I had covered it all with a red velvet and white fur trimmed jacket. And even though I had no plans to leave the bedroom, I had thrown on a pair oh white high heels to complete the ensemble.

I thought I looked pretty good, but there were still butterflies in my stomach. What happened if Edward wasn't into the whole sexy Mrs. Claus look? I knew deep down that it wouldn't matter (and that I probably wouldn't be wearing it for very long anyway), but on the surface the fear was still there.

I was trying in vain to head off my unsubstantiated fears when I heard the door open downstairs. Edward was home.

"Bella?" he called out, noticing that the entire downstairs was dark.

"Up here," I yelled back. I placed myself on the bed, furiously wracking my brain for a sexy pose to entice him with when he opened the door to our bedroom. I settled for leaning back on my hands, with my knees raised, one leg over the other.

The door to our bedroom opened and my breath caught as he stepped inside, my name on his lips. He stopped short when he saw me reclining on our bed. His jaw dropped slightly before it curved into a slight smile.

"Merry Christmas," I said in a low voice.

His eyes clouded over with lust as he walked toward me, shutting the bedroom door behind him.

"Bella," he said throatily. "You look … are … amazing." His knees hit the bed and he was crawling toward me, reaching out to run his hand up from my ankle to my knee to come to rest just below the short skirt of my boy shorts.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss on my neck before looking up at me. "Not that I'm complaining," he said as the hand he had on my thigh slid higher, "but what's the occasion?"

"Other than Christmas Eve?" I smirked slightly but held his gaze. "It's your Christmas present. You said you only wanted me, so that's what I'm giving you. Me. Anyway you want me."

He growled low in his throat before drawing himself up more fully to my position on the bed. I missed the warmth and pressure from his hand, but complied when he pulled me up into a sitting position before grabbing my head and drawing it to his.

"So fucking sexy," I heard him say before his lips met mine. I wound my arms around his neck and wasted no time opening my mouth under his, waiting for his tongue to seek out mine. This was his night, I would do things his way.

I wasn't disappointed. His tongue met mine as his hands slipped from my face to my shoulders, pausing there momentarily before running down my sides underneath the velvet jacket. I took the opportunity to press my body more fully against his, reveling in the hardness of his body.

His mouth moved from mine to my jaw and then to my neck, where he licked and sucked before moving back up yet again to kiss the space behind my ear. I gasped and I could feel him smile. His hands had settled on my hips and was toying with the band of the boy shorts. My hands had made their way to his chest, running them from the top of his button down shirt to the top of his dress pants.

I was breathless when he pulled back. "You taste so good."

"And you're wearing too many clothes."

His eyes widened before he responded. "I think I might need some help with that."

I was glad to oblige. I approached him, pulling his shirt from his pants before running my hands up his chest to begin undoing the buttons. I held his gaze as I slowly undid the buttons, watching as his expression changed from unbidden lust to annoyance at my speed. I made sure to make contact with his skin whenever possible until I finished with the last button. I followed the line of skin I had revealed back to his shoulders before I pushed the shirt off, revealing the skin of his glorious chest.

I kept my hands on his skin, running them over this shoulder and down his back and around his sides and back up the front to rest in the middle. I kissed his chest lightly before pushing him back to settle into the pillows. Shifting myself up higher on the bed, I threw a leg over his waist, straddling him and grinding into him slightly before leaning down and pressing my chest against his and bringing my mouth to meet his.

I could feel his hands running up my body, stopping to toy with the string that was keeping my breasts covered before moving them higher, to my shoulders. He pushed on the velvet jacket, wanting to rid me of the majority of cloth covering my body. I happily helped without abandoning the claim I had laid on his mouth.

He threw the jacket onto the floor, and I felt the cool air hit my body. I broke our kiss and sat up, watching his face as I worked my way down his body, coming to rest in between his legs. His breathing had picked up and I smirked at him before glancing down at the obvious bulge in his pants. I pressed my hand lightly against it, delighting in the hard heat as his pushed his hips up, trying to increase the pressure.

I pulled my hand away and he groaned at the lack of contact. I chose to not keep him waiting too long, instead running my hands down his chest to the top of this pants, where I undid the button and the zipper. I tugged at his pants and he raised his hips, allowing me to remove his pants and his boxers without hesitation.

Running my hands back up his legs, I stopped on his upper thigh, just short of where he wanted me to touch. I grinned as he twitched slightly.

"Bella …" he groaned out. "Tease."

I settled myself in between his legs and stuck my tongue out at him like a petulant child before lowering my head to run it up his entire length. His eyes widened as he watched my movement before dropping his head back into the piles of pillows.

Not quite satisfied with his reaction, I repeated the action, before lifting his length and wrapping my lips around the tip. His head flew up and his eyes opened, taking in the image of my mouth wrapped around him, letting out a low groan. I smiled, my lips still engulfing him. That was more the reaction I was looking for.

I started to move over him, setting a steady rhythm and running my hands over whatever skin I could reach. He moved his hands to grab my hair, but didn't make any attempt to guide me, instead just fisting my hair around his closed fists. His hips moved slightly as I continued to suck and lick, slowly building his pleasure.

It didn't take long before his breathing was erratic. "Bella … " he managed. "You have … stop. …too good.'

He pulled at my head, and I reluctantly released him. "This is about you," I sighed.

"No, love," he tried to catch his breath, "you said this is about what I want. I want you. I want to be in you," he reached for me. "I want to feel your skin against mine."

He pulled my body flush with his, flipping us so I was on my back, running his hands down my stomach to cup my heat. I arched into his hand before he shifted the boy shorts to the side and slipping a finger inside me.

"Fuck Bella. You're so wet."

I could only moan as his finger picked up speed slightly, before pulling back and out. He covered my body with his, bringing his mouth to mine, pushing his tongue into my willing mouth. As I responded, he lifted his body slightly, his hands pulling at the bow at the front of the bra until it came undone. Not pausing to glance down, he shoved the fabric aside and started to palm my breast, cupping it in his hand before slightly squeezing. His fingers got closer and close to my nipple, tracing patterns around the flesh until coming to concentrate solely on my nipple. He took my moan as cue to move to my other exposed breast, giving it the same treatment as the first.

Before I could comprehend what had happened, he replace his hand with his mouth, his tongue taking the place of his fingers on my nipple. I gasped at the change in temperature on my skin, and grasped on to the back of his head, holding him in place.

"Your skin tastes so sweet," I heard him say against my skin, "I would do anything to be able to taste it, always." He moved his lips down my body, stopping to lay kisses on my stomach. "I love you Bella. Always."

My heart melted at his words. This was supposed to be about him; him taking me however he wanted and he was professing his love for me. Not that I didn't already know that he loved me, but there was something innately more satisfying to hearing it in this situation. He had chosen to be gentle and loving and romantic over everything else. My desire and love grew for him in that moment.

He was already working on removing the only piece of clothing that stood between us, pressing openmouthed kisses to each new inch of skin he revealed. Laying one last kiss to the top of my pubic bone, he pulled back, pulling the boy shorts down and off my legs, leaving me only wearing the candy cane striped thigh highs and white heels. I moved to kick off the heels, but he grabbed my foot.

"No," he told me, "These stay."

Sliding his hands up my leg, he didn't stop until he reached my sex, which stroked for a moment. "Bella … you're so amazing."

His fingers hit the bundle of nerves at the top of my sex, and that coupled with his words and the look of adoration on his face sent me over the edge. I cried out, arching my back of the bed, riding the hard waves of pleasure that he sent through my body. He didn't stop until I was completely spent, my body a mass of jelly on the bed.

He dropped onto the bed next to me, kissing the side of my face. "That was insanely hot," he confessed with a smile. "That right there … that would give me enough material to fantasize with for months."

I blushed. Finding my strength, I rolled over onto him. "Lucky for you, you don't have to fantasize." I kissed him hard, making it my goal to turn this back into his night. I couldn't forget my original goal: giving him his Christmas present.

He groaned into my mouth. "I want to be in you Bella," he said through our kiss.

I didn't respond explicitly, I just kissed him harder, my way of telling him that he could do whatever he pleased. He seemed to get the message, because he rolled me over so that I was underneath him. I moved my legs up to his waist, giving him more room to maneuver between my legs. His hard length was pressed up against me, and I briefly entertained the notion of moving my hips up and slipping him into me, but I dismissed that notion by reminding myself yet again that this was about him. He was setting the pace tonight.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before pushed into me, sliding in slowly until he could go no further. We both moaned, at the intimacy we had created or the sheer wonderful feeling running through our bodies, I wasn't sure. We stayed like that for a moment, reveling in being connected as we were, before he leaned down and kissed me.

"I love you," he murmured as he dropped his head into my neck, starting to thrust his hips in a gentle rhythm. When he had found his pace, I began to move my hips with his, sending even more shockwaves through my body, as I turned my head to kiss any part of him I could reach.

His pace grew more frantic, and he pulled back to kiss my face. I wound my arms tighter around him, crushing him to my body, wanting to be of one mind and one body with him.

"Bella," he panted over and over, not slowing his pace.

I encouraged him, whispering to him to let go and succumb to his pleasure, moving my hips in small circles. He slowed his thrusts and reached between our connected bodies to find once again the bundle of nerves at the top of my sex. I drew in a sharp breath, not expecting his action.

He resumed his thrusting, picking up the pace he had abandoned, his fingers moving ever faster as he stroked the spot above where we were joined. I couldn't hold back a moan as the pressure built in my stomach.

"Come for me Bella," his plea was strained. "Come with me."

I moved my hips up once more, exerting more pressure from his fingers, before I clenched down on him, crying out his name as my body released the built up tension. I could feel his length pulse inside me, my body milking his warmth from him as he let himself go, mumbling incoherent sentences mixed with his moans.

He made no move to leave me, instead lifting his head to look at my face. I smiled what was probably a completely stupid smile and twined my fingers in his hair, mussing it even more than it already was. We were sweaty and sticky and completely out of breath, but I was completely content and happy.

He dipped his head and caught my mouth in a soft kiss, and I wrapped my legs more securely around his waist, not wishing to be separated from him. His mouth moved over mine softly, taking time to explore the familiarities.

We were both panting as he pulled away, leaning his forehead on mine, our breaths mixing.

"I love you," I said in a low voice.

He kissed me once more. "I utterly and completely adore you, my Bella."

He finally rolled to the side, and I immediately missed his warmth and his weight. I rolled to cuddle up to his side, relishing his nearness.

"That was probably the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," he told me, dropping a kiss on my nose.

"Even better than the train set you got from your parents when you were twelve?" I teased.

He pretended to consider that for a moment, weighing the pros and cons before coming to his decision. "Definitely," he said with conviction. "Infinitely better." He pulled me so I was laying on top of him before capturing my mouth yet again.

"Good," I told him. "I worked hard on this present."

He laughed. "I could tell," he said with a smirk. He thought for a moment before asking, "How long does this present last?"

I wasn't sure I understood the question. Seeing the look on my face, he clarified, "You said I could have you any way I wanted you. And as much fun as that last round was, I'm not so sure that I'm done playing with my new present yet."

I bit my lip before running my hand down his body to grasp his hardening length. "Well, we would want to make sure that you're satisfied with your gift, now wouldn't we?" I asked, teasing him.

He sucked in a breath and pushed his hips upward. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be very satisfied," he groaned out. "I'm sure it's going to be a present that I'm going to want to play with again and again, forever."

He kissed me hard, before asking, "What exactly does this gift do?"

I pressed my lips to his ear. "Anything. Everything. And you get to spend all night trying it out."

He growled playfully, rolling me over so that he was on top again, holding his body over mine. I was right. This was a gift that I didn't mind receiving. And as we started on round two, it was pretty clear: neither did he.

* * *

Author's Note: This is by far the longest one shot I've written, and it's basically just me trying my hand at writing smut before I go and try to write it for my multi-chapter fic. It's the first time I've ever done anything like this, and it's surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. I'm decently happy with the way it turned out, even if it might be a bit too wordy. I tried to make it more romantic than anything, without it being too girly so hopefully Edward didn't come off as a total pansy. It wasn't beta'd, so all mistakes are mine and mine alone.

Inspiration for Bella's lingerie are linked on my profile, it anyone is curious. (And I'm still looking for a beta for my multi-chapter fic … read that note on my profile, too!)

Reviews are love. I'd love to know what other people thought about my attempt at hands down (romantic) smut!


	2. Chapter 2

"_You said I could have you any way I wanted you. And as much fun as that last round was, I'm not so sure that I'm done playing with my new present yet."_

He broke the kiss, leaving me breathless, and worked his way down my body. He kissed my chin, moving down to my neck and then to the valley between my breasts. His hands came up and pinched each of my nipples roughly, earning a little yelp from me. He soothed the pain, pressing a kiss and a small lick onto each reddened peak. Holding onto my hips as he moved lower, he trailed openmouthed kisses to my bellybutton. His body was wedged between my legs, keeping my legs apart, something he used to his advantage.

"I'll be right back," he said, pressing a kiss onto my dripping sex.

My whimper was as much for the jolt of pleasure that he sent through my body as it was for my displeasure as he pulled himself off the bed and walked towards the door to the bedroom. I was quickly consoled by the sight of his remarkable body, almost gleaming in the soft candlelight. I couldn't hold back my smile as he walked purposefully out the door, not bothering to pull on clothes.

I contemplated following him but decided against it. Laying back against the pillows, I stretched slightly. I could hear him moving around downstairs and idly wondered what he was doing.

"Bella?" I heard him call softly up the stairs.

"Come back to bed, Edward," I tried to entice him, hoping that I sounded remotely sexy.

"I would rather you come here, love." I could hear him trying to hold back a laugh.

I stood and reached down to grab Edward's discarded shirt, pulling it on and buttoning a few of the buttons. He might be okay walking around the house naked, but I wasn't, especially when I didn't know what he had planned. His lack of attire did suggest one possibility, however. His scent surrounded me, coming off his shirt and I breathed deeply to add to my memory of his spicy smell. I loved the way he smelled.

I got to the bottom of the stairs but didn't see any sign of him. Most of the house was still dark. There was a slight glow from the living room where he had plugged in the lights that were on the Christmas tree, so I figured that was my best shot at finding him.

"Edward?"

"I thought I already unwrapped my Christmas present," his voice came from behind me. I turned to find him coming out of the kitchen, still gloriously naked.

I smiled as he approached me. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. "I can't complain, though. You wear my shirt much better than I do."

I shook my head as I pressed my head into his chest. I kissed along his collarbone and ran my hands across his naked flesh before bringing them down to cup his ass. I squeezed lightly as I rolled my hips slightly into his. I could feel him hardening against my stomach.

"Bella …"

I dropped my hands and backed out of his embrace. I saw his eyes drop slightly, confusion flashing over his face.

When I was sufficiently far enough away from him so that he couldn't just reach out and grab me, I turned to face him. He hadn't moved towards me, which I took as a positive sign. Without saying anything I started to work on the buttons of his stolen shirt. Slowly I worked my way down the buttons, swaying my hips as I did so. It didn't come completely apart when I was finished, catching on the mounds of my breasts.

His eyes darkened with lust at my impromptu striptease and I could see his obvious arousal. I felt slightly stupid because we were standing at the base of the stairs, but I quickly swallowed that emotion. I turned my back to him, glancing over my shoulder and slowly lowering the shirt in what I hoped was something akin to sexy.

I pulled the shirt back up to my shoulders and turned yet again to face him. I ran my hands up my body, spreading the opening of his shirt and coming to cup my breasts. I massaged them, working my way closer and closer to my nipples. After ghosting my thumbs over each of them a few times, I stopped my movements. Before I could think too much about it, I pinched my nipples, rolling them between my fingers and pulling slightly.

I barely heard his moan as he watched me. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. His eyes almost dared me to do whatever my next move was. My mind was blank. This was still his night and I didn't have anything specific in mind.

Deciding at last to give him a show, I kept my eyes on his and walked towards him, stopping when I reached him to reach up and whisper in his ear. "No touching."

His eyes narrowed and he turned to watch me approach the stairs, but he still didn't move. I lowered myself, sitting so that my feet were on the bottom step. I reached up to cup my breasts again, wasting no time to move in to resume pinching my already hard nipples, spreading my legs to give him an unhindered view of my dripping core.

My right hand abandoned the nipple it had been playing with and started a course down my body. Edward's eyes grew wide as he realized what I intended and he started to stroke himself lightly, but he made no move to leave the spot that I had confined him to.

My hand finished its journey down my body and came to rest on my sex. I heard his breath hitch and his hand stop, and I wasn't sure if it was because he wanted me to continue or he wanted me to stop. I threw caution to the wind and began to stroke myself, spreading my fingers through my wetness. I ran my fingers over every part of me. His eyes never left me, splitting his time between watching my face and watching my fingers.

The sensations running though my body were something that I had never felt before. The glow from the Christmas lights in the next room, the eroticism of the location, the sounds of our panting, the intimacy of showing him my body like this created a feeling of high that was completely different than any other.

I slid one finger into my dripping core, rolling my hips up until my finger couldn't go any further. It wasn't enough to dispel the feeling of need running though me, so I withdrew my finder to add another. My fingers picked up speed and my hips met the pace they had set. Jolts of pleasure ran through my body and my head fell back and my breathing accelerated. It was pleasurable, but I wanted more. I trailed my left hand down to play with the bundle of nerves at the top of my sex.

I was so caught up in my own pleasure, I didn't notice that Edward had completely stilled. His hand was grasping his hard length, his eyes completely glazed over and his jaw slightly dropped open. My hips rolled faster and my fingers pumped harder until my body went stiff, finally breaking apart, under my own ministrations. My moans came out labored, mixing with my shortness of breath.

It took a minute to recover, but when I did I noticed that Edward still hadn't moved. He seemed frozen to his designated spot.

I was afraid that I had pushed him too far. That maybe he was appalled by my demonstration. Granted, it wasn't anything that we hadn't done before, but there was something different about this time than any other.

"Edward?"

His name off my lips broke the silence that we had established and seemed to bring him out of his trance. He strode forward quickly and grabbed me hard, bringing me flush to his body, kissing me hard. He didn't waste any time before he thrust his tongue into my mouth.

He bit down on my lower lip before he drew back. "I was wrong earlier. _That_ is the stuff of fantasies." He moved his head to my neck, biting into the flesh where my neck met my shoulder. I moaned, surprised at his roughness and surprised at myself that I liked it as much as I did.

He spun me around quickly and pushed me up against the wall at the base of the stairs and I had to brace myself against the wall with my forearms in order to not be smashed up against it. He pulled my hips back to meet his, bending me at the waist and pressing himself against me for only a moment as he spread my legs, pushing into me without preamble.

I cried out as he entered me. I wasn't in pain; I was completely turned on by his primal instinct. He thrust into me hard and fast, grabbing my hips to hold them still. My cries turned to moans and I rested my head on my forearms, letting the wall hold my weight. He moved his body to blanket mine, his face coming to rest next to my ear, his hands left my waist to cup my breasts, massaging and rolling them as I had earlier.

He began to growl into my ear, not letting up on his thrusting slightly. "You make me so fucking hard. I love to fuck you, to use your body any way I please." If it were possible I got even wetter at his words. I loved how he could get caught up in the moment and let his language go. I vaguely wondered if he knew was he was saying. I was fairly sure he didn't, because he would be mortified if he did. That thought turned me on even more, to know that I drove him to act like that.

"Shit, Bella, you're so tight. You feel so fucking good around me."

I could do no more than continue my moans. Even if I had had the ability to speak, I wasn't sure what I would have said. Instead, I let my moans urge him on.

He drew back off me and slowed his thrusting. I took the opportunity to catch my breath, rolling my hips to try to get him to move faster.

All of a sudden, I felt him his hand come down to smack my ass. That was unexpected, and my eyes widened. The sting of his hand only added to the sensations running through my body. I felt his hand rub the offended area before he smacked me again. My moans came back with vengeance. He increased the speed of his thrusting again and brought his hand down onto my ass a third time. It was enough to send me spiraling down into the pit of pleasure that he was pushing me into. I clenched down hard around him, crying out his name over and over as I let myself go.

He had stopped his movements when I had first started to come and he let me recover for a few seconds before he pulled out of me. I turned to face him, curious as to why he had stopped and very aware that he hadn't yet found release.

His mouth crashed into mine, pushing me back so that I was wedged in between the wall and his body. He ravaged my mouth, exploring and tasting every part of it and making me respond with equal enthusiasm. His hands drifted down to grab me by the thighs, bringing me up to wrap my legs around his waist. He slipped back into me, thrusting against me hard twice before backing up to lower himself onto the stairs, leaning back, his feet on the ground.

"I want you to ride me," he said almost demandingly.

I complied, moving to position my feet on the stairs next to his thighs and my hands gripping the railing for leverage. He gripped my waist, helping me to find a rhythm as I bounced above him. I concentrated on raising up almost all the way off him before tightening my sex as I sunk back onto him. When I felt comfortable enough with our odd position on the stairs, I leaned back slightly, arching my back and finding a new angle that made his breathing quicken. I was pleased with myself when I felt his hands come up to take residence on my breasts again.

My arms were getting tired from holding onto the railing, so I shifted forward, bracing my arms on the stairs by his head. His mouth came to replace his hands on my breasts, teasing my nipples, unable to ignore their close proximity to his face. He moved his now free hands to my waist, gripping tightly and lifting me almost all the way off him, holding me still as he thrust quickly into me from below.

He was close, and it didn't take much to drive him over the edge. He pushed into me, groaning loudly and releasing into me. I continued to move over him, milking the last of his orgasm from him before collapsing onto his chest.

His breath was hot against his ear as I held him while he tried to calm his body, murmuring to him and placing kisses on his skin. I didn't move off him, even though I realized that his position on the stairs had to be pretty uncomfortable.

Finally, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he said quietly.

I pulled back, completely taken off guard with his admission. I glared at him, confused. "Sorry? For what?"

He gestured to us and to the space that we occupied. "For this. It's not … I didn't…" he couldn't complete his thought. "I didn't plan this. It's not how I had imagined."

I laughed. He sounded like a girl and I loved him for it. "It's not how I imagined, either," I told him honestly. "Most people tend to shy away from the stairs as a place to have sex."

His eyes grew sad, so I kissed him, hoping to convey how I felt. "But I'm not sorry about it. I could never be sorry about being with you." His eyes came back to mine. "Variety is the spice of life. And I loved it."

"Bella, I just took you on the stairs like a caveman. The least I could have done was take you back upstairs. Or to the couch." He sounded ashamed.

"I like it when you can't control yourself around me. I like to know that I drive you crazy. Besides," I added as an afterthought, "it's not like I didn't contribute." I blushed slightly.

He wasn't convinced. "But I got rough, didn't I?" He ran his hand down to feel where he had smacked me.

"A little." I didn't want to lie to him. Shame crossed his face. "But it didn't hurt. I thought it was pretty hot," I confessed.

He wasn't convinced. "But usually we plan stuff like that."

I wasn't sure what I could do to convince him that it was okay, so I just kept trying. "Edward, it's okay. Really. I liked it."

He searched my eyes, for what I'm not sure. "Honestly," I reaffirmed. "It's okay to get a little rough once in awhile. I won't break."

He sighed, resigned. And then he pulled my head to his and kissed me tenderly, seeming to try to make up for our actions on the stairs. I kissed him back, trying to tell him through my kiss that I was okay and that I loved him.

He finally pulled back. "The stairs _are_ a little uncomfortable."

I chuckled, but moved off of him and allowed him to sit up. When he had, he drew me into his side and I laid my head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Edward," I told him, still trying to reassure him.

He squeezed me in response, turning to me. "I never got to give you your Christmas present."

"Well, I guess I'll have to accept it, seeing as how you've accepted mine."

He kissed me again, standing and pulling me up and off the stairs. I drew the shirt that never quite made it off me tighter around me, but didn't bother to button it back up. He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the living room.

We stopped in the doorway to the living room and he pointed up to the mistletoe that hung in the doorway. I laughed, remembering the mistletoe I had hung in our bedroom.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered before kissing me for the millionth time that night.

* * *

**Author's Note:** It was shorter than the last one, but this one was less "romance" and more just getting it on. It was my attempt at making Edward a bit more dominate and not so girly. And it was kind of just a filler chapter, basically an excuse for more sex, partly inspired by the stair sex scene in "The Thomas Crown Affair".

I'm thinking that there will be one more chapter, something where Edward can give Bella her gift, and of course more lovin'. After all, this is an exercise in learning to write smut. I make no promises though. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and everyone else that has favorite'ed and alert'ed the story. It gives me warm fuzzies.

I'm still working on my multi-chapter fic, and I've got about 10 chapters done, but I hate when people stop updating in progress fics, so I'm hoping to get most of it done before I start posting it.


	3. Chapter 3

_He squeezed me in response, turning to face me. "I never got to give you your Christmas present."  
_

I looked around the living room, stunned with the way it looked. The lights on the Christmas tree had been plugged in, casting a white glow through the room, which had been accentuated with the fire that he had lit in the fireplace. The room was warm and inviting, and I was impressed with his thoughtfulness.

Nothing looked out of place, however. There wasn't anything special about the room, nothing that I could believe might be my Christmas present. I half expected to find a new couch or a huge grandfather clock waiting for me.

Edward came behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back into his embrace, content to just be near him. It was late and I was tired, but I was reluctant to move. I didn't want to break the quietness of the surreal moment.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, his arms around me. It could have been a minute or it could have been forever. It didn't matter to me. It was like you could feel the closeness between us, and my heart grew for how lucky I was.

Eventually, Edward tuned me so that I was facing him. "Your present?" he murmured in a low voice.

I drew myself closer to him and shook my head before placing it on his warm chest. "I just want to be with you," the words came out slightly muffled.

He pressed a kiss into my hair before drawing back, breaking the embrace, grabbing onto my hand. "Always," he pledged, drawing me over to the piano in the corner of the room and settling me onto the bench, moving to sit behind me, placing his hands around me on the keyboard. His warmness enveloped me once again, and I settled back into his body.

"Bella," he began. I turned my head slightly, pressing my cheek more firmly against his as his head rested on my shoulder. "I know that I tell you all the time that I love you," he continued. I could feel his jaw move against mine as he spoke. "And I don't know that it's enough. Everyday I count myself the luckiest man on Earth because I have you here, with me, and I don't know what I did to deserve it. I love you with my entire being, and tonight, I want you to know that. I need you to know that," his voice broke slightly with the emotion behind his words.

I was so moved that I didn't know what to do. His declaration wasn't really anything I didn't already know, because I felt the same way. He was a wonderful, special, amazing man, in every way possible, and he wanted _me_. I didn't understand it, but I accepted it unconditionally and tried my best to show him that I felt the same and _I_ wasn't sure if I ever could show him how much he meant to me.

He composed himself and moved his hands over the keys of the piano lightly. "And so, I wrote you something. I hope it's something as enduring as my feelings."

He flexed his fingers once more before bringing them back to the piano keys. The notes that flowed from the instrument were clear and pure and when strung together created the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. I could feel the emotion pouring from the notes and the way he played them and I was completely stunned that he composed something for me. I wondered when he had the time, without me knowing.

When the last note had fallen silent, Edward moved his hand from the keys to rest on my lap, turning his face into my neck, not breaking the moment. I coved his hands with my own and rubbed gently until he pulled his head back slightly to look at me. I turned my face to his, resting my forehead against his, gazing into his eyes.

"That was beautiful," I told him earnestly, completely touched. The pressure of his hands on my thighs increased slightly, and I leaned in and kissed him softly, savoring the closeness and the quietness. Neither of us made any move to deepen the kiss. This kiss wasn't about passion; this kiss was about love and we were content to let our mouths move together in such a slow, familiar way. Eventually, we broke apart, slightly breathless. He made no move to draw back, again resting his forehead against mine.

"That was the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," I whispered.

At that, he drew back. "I have something else for you," he confessed.

He untangled himself from around me, leaving the room and walking toward the kitchen. I stood and faced the way he had gone, not sure what he was doing.

He was back within seconds, this time carrying a small box. When he got closer, I could distinguish the iconic light blue and white box. I gasped slightly as he came to stand in front of me, the piano bench separating us.

"I know you hate people spending money on you, and that you believe that there's a better use for that money. But," he handed the box to me before continuing, "it's not about the money. I like to give you things. And I want to spend the rest of my life searching for things to give you that equal you in beauty."

I looked down at the box in my hands, then back up at Edward. The firelight flickered over his face, and he looked half afraid that I wasn't going to accept it.

"I love it."

I wanted to assure him that even though I didn't necessarily want him to give me gifts, it wasn't like I wasn't going to accept them. Especially when they came from him. No, _because_ they came from him. Because he always put so much thought and emotion behind his gifts.

"Open it," he urged.

I tugged at the white bow and it fell away easily. I lifted the lid to reveal the most gorgeous diamond pendant I had ever seen. It hung on a delicate silver chain, the diamond resting against a pillow of satin. It was simple and classic and beautiful, and I loved it.

Edward took the necklace out of the box, then took the box from me and sat it on the piano bench. I turned and lifted my hair and he clasped the chain around my neck. I felt him press a light kiss against my neck where the clasp fell before he turned me to face him again.

"Beautiful," his eyes were heavy as he brought his face to meet mine, continuing the soft kiss that we had started after he had finished playing for me. We kissed, slow and lazy, until our breathing got heavy. He kicked the piano bench out of the way and pulled me to him, running his hands slowly down my body before picking me up.

He lifted me up and placed me so that I was sitting on the top of the piano. Chord-less notes broke the silence of the room as my legs hit the keys, and then again as my legs shifted as Edward came to stand between them. He kissed me again, more insistent that before, but still gently. Before long, he was splitting his time between my mouth and my neck, and he had me panting in anticipation. His hands were all over my body, touching every bit of exposed skin before eventually coming to rest on my shoulders, pushing his still-unbuttoned shirt off me. It fell to rest on the piano, but I didn't even notice until my hands were free to grasp his head and hold him to me.

He worked his way down my body, licking and sucking and nipping at my breasts and making me whimper. My panting was the only sound in the room, breaking the quiet atmosphere. I kept my hands twisted in his hair, not willing to have him draw back and have the pleasure stop.

Satisfied that he had lavished enough attention on my breasts he moved further down my body. My whimpers intensified at the loss of contact but turned to moans when he reached by stomach, kissing first around my bellybutton and then moving lower, kissing around the top of my sex.

He nudged my legs open wider and mismatched notes once again came out of the piano. I felt him kiss the inside of my thighs, coming as close as he dared to my dripping center before moving his kisses further down my thigh. My panting was interspersed with groans at his teasing. I wanted nothing more than for him to release the tension that he was slowly building.

As much as I wanted it, I wasn't prepared for when he finally moved his mouth to my core, dragging his tongue from bottom to top, flicking lightly over the bundle of nerves at the top. I moaned loudly, too far gone to be embarrassed with myself. He threw one leg over his shoulder and I rolled my hips into his face as he went to work, licking the moisture from me before probing with his tongue for more. I concentrated on the feeling of his tongue on me, not ever wanting the sensations running through my body to stop.

I raised my head slightly, opening my eyes to glance down at him. The sight of him, his head between my legs, his tongue moving all around my sex, was too much for me to take. I pushed my hips up one last time, surrendering to the sensations that exploded throughout my body. My moans echoed through the room, the loudest that I had uttered all night. He held onto me, not relenting with his licking as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me.

When my body relaxed and my moans had stopped, he stood up, the piano making noise yet again as my legs came to rest on the keyboard. He stood over me before covering my body with his own, kissing me deeply. I could taste myself on his lips, but it didn't stop me from responding to his warm, caressing mouth.

"Love you," I murmured lazily.

"I love you too, my Bella."

He pulled back and laid his head on my chest. My arms came to wind around his shoulders, but I could feel the effects of the hour and my orgasm starting to hit me. My eyes grew heavy, and I was so warm and content. I lost the battle with myself to keep them open.

Edward must have felt my breathing even out, because the next thing I knew I was in his arms, a gentle movement jarring me awake. He was carrying me somewhere.

"Edward …" I sighed as I curled myself into him.

I could feel him begin to climb the stairs. "Shh… let's get you to bed."

I shook my head slightly into his chest. "I want to spend Christmas Eve with you."

He entered our room, placing me gently on our bed before pulling the covers up around me. "Christmas Eve is over," he told me, gently stroking my face.

"Christmas, then." I was defiant. Tonight had been amazing and I wasn't ready to sacrifice it for sleep.

He laughed softly. "Christmas will still be here when you wake up. Sleep now."I could feel myself succumbing to sleep yet again and couldn't fight it, despite my best efforts. I pulled on his hand, forcing him down onto the bed with me.

"Stay with me." The request was completely stupid. This was his room too; this was his bed. Where else was he going to go? But it didn't matter that it didn't make sense. I wanted him next to me at that moment.

His soft laughter returned as he moved himself behind me, covering himself with the comforter. I could feel him draw me close, wrapping an arm around my waist. The last thing I remember before sleep overtook me was a soft kiss to my hair and his soft voice.

"Sleep well, my lovely Bella."

* * *

**  
Author's Note:** I'm sorry this is so long! Okay, so it's even shorter (but only slightly!) than the last two chapters, and for that I'm sorry. I had other visions for this chapter, but I had trouble connecting what ended up happening in this chapter to what I had envisioned. That just means that there will have to be another chapter. (This one-shot writing exercise turned into a fairly sizable project!) People seemed to like a more assertive Bella, and I wanted to play with that idea, but mushy, romantic Edward got in the way. Assertive Bella will return - I promise.

Part of the reason I couldn't do what I wanted with this chapter was because Bella and Edward have been going at it a lot, and it's only been one night in the timeline of the story. I know Edward's good, but I didn't want to over-exaggerate his stamina. After all, he's only human (in this story, anyway).

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favorite'd and alert'd this story. I've tried my best to respond to signed reviews, because they really do make me happy. I figure if you take the time to leave me a note, I want to return the favor. This story remains unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine. And the idea for the sex on the piano was partly inspired by the one scene in "Pretty Woman", and because I think it would be hot.

So have no fear - chapter 4 is already started. It's being adapted to be what I had sort of originally planned for this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**December 25****th**

I awoke feeling completely and unconditionally happy. My bed was warm and I was completely relaxed. I rolled over, intending to snuggle up against the love of my life, but I was met with empty space. Edward wasn't in bed.

I raised my arms above my head and pointed my toes, enjoying the feeling of my muscles stretching. I was slightly sore from our previous night's activities, but any pain I might have been feeling was overwhelmed by my pure contentment. Everything was perfect, except for the fact that Edward was missing. It was Christmas Day, and I wanted to see if we continue what we had started last night.

I pulled myself up and out of bed, pulling on my robe as I did so and I made sure to make a little side trip to the bathroom to brush my teeth. If things were headed in the direction I hoped they were, I didn't want any interruptions. As I left the bedroom, I could hear movement downstairs … and what sounded like the radio. I wandered downstairs, wanting to be with Edward.

The sounds were coming from the kitchen, so I moved in that direction. As soon as I got to the doorway, I stopped. Edward was in the kitchen, all right. He had pulled on his boxers and had his back to me and it looked like he was making coffee. What caught my attention, however, was the music filling the room. "Baby It's Cold Outside" had come up on the Christmas play list he was listening to, and he was shifting his weight back and forth to the beat of the music. I wouldn't call it dancing exactly, but it made me smile nonetheless.

I was caught off guard when I heard his voice, singing along to the deep male part. I muffled a giggle, opting instead to watch him sway and sing along. The muscles in his back moved under his skin, and I longed to run my hands over them.

I don't know if he heard my muffled laughs - I thought I did a good job covering them - or felt my presence behind him, but he turned around, catching me staring at him. He was completely unashamed of his little show.

"Good morning," he smiled, walking towards me. When he stood in front of me, he dipped his head and kissed me. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," I said as he took my hand and settled me into a raised bar chair, standing between my knees.

"Did you sleep well?"

I shook my head "Very well. I must have been exhausted."

He smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You did exert an awful lot of energy last night."

I could feel the blush on my cheeks.

"You look absolutely amazing this morning." His compliment didn't do anything to make my blush go away.

"So do you," I hoped it came out flirtatious. With him standing next to me in only his underwear, I was definitely interested in picking things up where we left off last night.

He smiled lazily at me before bringing his mouth to mine. His mouth was slightly demanding, and I was elated. This might not be as hard as I had thought.

"What time do we have to be at your parent's house," I asked after we had broken apart. I needed to know if we had time to take this to the next level.

He smirked like he knew was I was hinting at. "I told them about three," he wound his arms around my neck, "so we've got a few hours … to get ready."

He released me and walked back to the coffee maker, pouring two cups and handing one to me across the bar. "I've got coffee, but are you hungry? I was thinking we could make some pancakes or an omelet or something."

"An omelet sounds good," I told him, jumping off the bar chair. "I'll help."

"No, no, no …" he stopped me. "You sit right there. I've got this."

Rather than resume my place on the chair, I stood next to it and watched him move around the kitchen, gathering stuff necessary to make our breakfast. I was treated with getting to watch his muscles move as he grabbed things out of the refrigerator, and my view got even better when he bent down to grab something else out of the bottom drawer. My desire for him grew even larger, if possible, and suddenly I was impatient with him for suggesting breakfast. I already knew what I wanted to nibble on.

My eyes followed his form as he walked to the opposite counter, arranging the things he had pulled from the refrigerator before turning to grab a bowl out of the cupboard.

I abandoned my position next to the chair that I had occupied, walking over to him and running my hands down his back. The contours of his muscles felt so wonderful under my fingers, but I kept my hands moving lower, until I reached the bit of cloth that covered him, squeezing gently.

"Bella …" he said in a warning tone, but I didn't care. I knew what I wanted to accomplish, and it sure as heck didn't involve breakfast.

Ignoring him, I pushed my body against his, pressing a kiss to the middle of his back and moving my hands around to his chest. It wasn't long before I had found his nipples and I dragged my fingers over each one in turn, wanting to make them stand out into my hands.

Even though I earned a slight shiver out of him, he stopped my exploration of his chest. I huffed against his back.

"Bella, if you keep that up, we'll never have breakfast."

"So?" I responded. "Maybe I don't want breakfast. Or maybe," I dropped kisses along the line of his shoulder, "I want a different type of breakfast."

He turned to face me. "As enticing as that is, I really think I should feed you."

I sighed and narrowed my eyes. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"And besides," he said into my ear as he pushed past me to turn on the stove, "we should have plenty of time for that, later." He gave me a little tap on my ass as he moved away.

Or maybe not.

I reluctantly returned to my chair, my mind working overtime to come with a way to make him lose control like he did last night. Edward was busy chopping and mixing things, so I let my mind wander. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I remembered what I had done last night, but I was quickly consoled when I finished the thought with Edward's reaction. He seemed to enjoy it, and that was all that mattered. I just wasn't sure what I could do to entice him like that again.

I surveyed the kitchen, looking for something that I might be able to use as a prop. We didn't use toys often, but maybe that would be something to look into. It would have been a lot easier if I could go grab something to aide me on this venture.

A slight stroke of genius hit me. I could do this without help. While Edward's back was turned, I slowly untied the silk belt of my robe, pushing it off my shoulders. The fabric pooled around my waist, leaving me bare from the waist up. A wave of cool air hit me and I shivered, my nipples hardening with the slight breeze.

And then I just waited, watching Edward move around the kitchen. He never turned to face me, focusing instead on making breakfast. That gave me more courage - I knew that he wanted this as much as I did. Well, I was determined to win this game.

After what seemed like forever, he spoke. "And, breakfast is -" he said with a flourish, finally turning to face me, plate and fork in hand. As soon as he saw me though, his enthusiasm for the breakfas he had prepared disappeared. His eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped slightly when he saw my naked torso, and I felt a surge of satisfaction that I had caused such a reaction with very minimal effort.

He quickly composed himself, setting the plate on the counter between us. I knew I could break him, I just needed to find the one little thing that would push him over the edge.

"Here … try it," he told me, holding out a fork full of the cheesy omelet. "It's hot," he cautioned.

I opened my mouth obediently, allowing him to place the piece of omelet in my mouth. I chewed, never taking my eyes away from his.

"It's good," I told him. His face fell slightly, like he was hoping for a stronger affirmation, but he held out another piece to me.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, and at my nod moved to grab a glass and some orange juice out of the refrigerator. I took the opportunity to take the abandoned fork and cut the rest of the omelet into bit-sized pieces.

He came back around the counter this time, so he was standing between my legs. I took a sip of the juice, making sure to keep the fork out of his reach.

"Did you taste it?" I asked him, foregoing the fork all together and holding out a piece of the omelet to him.

His eyes darkened, but opened his mouth to allow me to feed him. As he chewed, I licked the cheese off my fingers.

"It is good," he confirmed. "I'm pretty good."

I smirked. "Yes, you are."

We continued to feed each other with our fingers, much to my excitement. I made sure to linger whenever he fed me my pieces, licking and sucking at his fingers until I was satisfied that they were clean. When he held out the last piece to me, I knew that I had to make it count. I chewed the piece of omelet, holding onto his wrist until I was done, then raising it back to my mouth, swirling my tongue around his finger and sucking gently. I heard his slight gasp as I caught this finger between my teeth, dragging them along his skin before going back to lavish attention to it with my tongue, mimicking the actions I would like to perform to another part of his body.

When his eyes closed, I took the opportunity to jump down off the chair, brushing up against him. My robe slid to the floor, leaving me naked, and I could feel his arousal through the fabric that separated us. I ran my hands all over his chest, coming to play with the elastic of his boxers.

"Edward …" I wanted him to open his eyes, to watch my next move.

When he opened his eyes to look at me, I slowly slid down his body until I was on my knees in front of him, taking his boxers down with me. His breathing grew heavy and I knew then that he wasn't going to stop me. I had him exactly where I wanted him.

After a glance up at him, I lightly grasped his hard length and blew across it gently, watching it twitch in my hand. I smiled, and pressed a kiss to the tip before completely taking him in my mouth. I heard his slight groan when the heat of my mouth hit his flesh.

I wanted to draw this out as long as possible; the goal was to make him lose control. I worked his length slowly, running my tongue over every part of his length, then sucking gently, using my hands on what I couldn't fit into my mouth. I glanced up at him and made a noise in the back of my throat, hoping that the vibrations would translate into pleasurable sensations for him.

His eyes were shut and his breathing was hard, his hips straining not to move. I moved faster, wanting him to break, willing him with my mouth. I could feel him tense and a low growl escaped his throat. I had him.

Drawing back, I blew once more across his length, earning a strangled groan that sounded slightly like my name off his lips. I stood and pressed myself against him, running my fingers imperceptibly over his erection.

I kissed along his jaw line slowly, waiting for him to compose himself enough to look at me. I knew that he really wanted release, but I didn't want to give it to him. Not that way. I was going to use this to my advantage.

"Bella … Bella … Bella …" he chanted my name, pleading for me to finish what I had started. I almost gave in at the sound of his voice.

"Edward," it was my turn now, "I want you to fuck me."

His eyes flew open at my confession, almost like he had forgotten the state of arousal that I had left him in.

"Bella?"

"I want you to fuck me," I told him again in a low voice. "Right here, like you did last night." I hopped back up onto the bar chair, opening my legs for him.

He looked conflicted for a moment, but I knew I had won. He was in no condition to refuse.

When he made no move towards me, I made a face like I was lightly disappointed, and moved to run my hand down my body, pretending that I was going to take care of myself. My hand hadn't even made it past my bellybutton when Edward was pressed against me, my hands held out to the side.

"I can't take that again," he growled at me. "You're too fucking sexy for your own good."

I grinned, finally getting what I wanted. I was glad to let him take control and let his defenses down.

He let go of my hands to pull my lower body closer to his, entering me in one stroke.

"Yes," I moaned. "Fuck me harder." I deliberately urged him on, knowing that he wasn't completely gone like he was last night.

He increased his speed, making my breath come in pants. "More … please."

He slammed into me and stopped moving, leaning over me.

"Edward?"

"Tight … wet … fuck," I heard him murmur against my throat. He slipped out of me and I whimpered.

I didn't get much time to wonder what he was thinking before he pulled me off the chair, spinning me and pushing me back to the lean over the table and entering me once again. I welcomed him, pleasure rushing back through my body. He set an almost frantic pace, his hands snaking down underneath me to palm my breasts, rolling my nipples between his fingers.

"Oh Edward … oh yes … Edward … yes," my moans urged him on, but I was too far gone for that to be my intention.

He pulled out once more, turning me around and lifting me up to put me on the table before joining us once more. "I want to see your face when I make you come."

I closed my eyes to compose myself as his thrusts grew even more frantic. He drove me to the edge, not quite taking me over the peak when I felt him thrust once more and empty himself inside me. I held onto him as he recovered from his orgasm, surprised when he started to move again half a minute later.

"Finish, Bella. Come," he groaned.

It only took a minute more before I felt myself fall over the edge, my muscles tightening around him. I collapsed against him, panting hard.

"Thank you," I sighed softly against his skin. I knew how hard it was for him to let go, but I looked forward to helping him to get past that. He didn't seem to have a problem with anything that we did, but I wished I could get him comfortable with making the first move.

When our breathing had slowed and we had relaxed slightly, Edward spoke. "Bella," he said almost incredulously, "we just had sex in the kitchen."

I laughed. "Yes we did."

"On the table."I pressed myself closer to his naked body. "Yes, and it was amazing."

"I'm never going to look at this table the same way again."

"Maybe next time we can actually get on the table, instead of just the edge," I teased. I didn't want to shut the door on any future activities.

"You're crazy," he laughed. "And absolutely amazing."

"You're pretty amazing yourself."

"But now we need a shower," he asserted in a rather seductive voice.

"We needed a shower before this morning," I pointed out before glancing at the clock. "And we've got about two hours before we have to leave. Do you think that's enough time?"

"With the way we've been going? Probably not," he smirked, pulling away from me and swinging me up into his arms. "But we can try."

"Edward!" I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Put me down!"

"Not a chance," he told me, heading for the stairs. "We need to go take a shower."

I laughed all the way upstairs.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the slight delay - I found this chapter a bit harder to write. I'm running out of ideas to spice up the sex without resorting to props they don't have. I'm also finding it a bit hard to get Edward to bounce between being attentive and loving and completely hot and dominate, but that's my own fault. Maybe I'll take on a story where Edward's all aggressive, because I find that it's harder to write believably.

Also, someone asked in a PM about Bella and Edward's marital status. I didn't give it much thought in the beginning because I didn't think it would matter - they obviously live together and that was enough for the beginning. As it's progressed, however, I've kind of come to the conclusion that they are married, but are still in the newlywed phase, which lends itself to lots and lots of sexy love.

I'm not sure if there's going to be a shower chapter, because again, I'm not sure how to do it without it being kind of lame. They've been going at it for 18 hours and it's been more and more of the same, which might work for my longer story, because things would be spread out more, but in the short timeline of this story I feel like it's a bit repetitive. I do know what I'm doing for the final chapter though … I just don't know if there will be an interim chapter.

Again, thanks for the alerts and the favorites and the reviews … they are awesome. It's how I grow as a writer. And I'm still trying to reply to signed reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

_"Edward!" I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Put me down!"_

_"Not a chance," he told me, heading for the stairs. "We need to go take a shower."_

I was unceremoniously thrown on the bed as Edward rushed off to the bathroom. I could hear the shower turn on, and I bided my time until Edward reappeared. I figured he had something planned, and I was rather excited to see what it might be.

When he didn't come out of the bathroom, I was slightly confused. We were already naked from our activities at breakfast, so it wasn't like he had to remove any clothing.

"Edward?" I called, pulling myself up and off the bed.

"Wait!" he called back. "Stay there for just a moment."

I sat back on the bed, now thoroughly confused. As much as I would be happy to spend the rest of the day with Edward in various rooms of the house, we didn't have that much time. His parents were expecting us for Christmas celebrations at their house around one, which meant that gave us about two hours in which to get ready. And while it didn't take me a long time to get ready, I would rather have more time than I needed than not enough. The rest of the family didn't need to know that we couldn't keep our hands off one another. Surely we could control ourselves long enough to share Christmas with family.

While I was pondering, Edward reappeared in the doorway of the bathroom in all his nakedness. A smile appeared on my face and I raked my eyes over his body, enjoying every bit of him.

"So… about that shower," he hedged, smirking slightly.

As many times as we had been together in the last day, my body still responded to his voice. I played it off, wanting to make him work for it.

I shrugged slightly. "You can go first," I told him. "I'm just going to relax here for a few minutes. I'm kind of tired."

His face fell at my nonchalance and I giggled inwardly. To offset my words, I leaned back into the pillows and stretched, arching my back and pushing my chest in his direction.

He seemed to get the message. "Are you sure you don't need a shower?" he asked, coming closer to the bed. "Are you sure you're not dirty?"

His voice was affecting me, but I wanted to draw this out. I shrugged again. "I do need a shower," I relented. "But like I said, you can use the shower first."

He leaned over the bed, bringing his face within inches of mine. "I'm kind of in the mood for a long shower. If you don't join me, you might not be ready to go in time."

With his confession he slid one arm under my knees and the other under my shoulders, lifting me effortlessly off the bed. I wrapped my arms around his neck to secure myself to him and gave a feigned yelp.

He took us towards the bathroom, stopping in the doorway. I finally got to see what had taken him so long earlier; in addition to starting the shower, he had pulled out fresh towels and set them on the counter and lit a few of the candles that I kept in the bathroom for when I wanted to take a more spa inspired bath. I laughed lightly.

"Candles?" I asked, glancing up at him.

He blushed slightly and shrugged as well as he could with me in his arms. "I thought it would make it a little more romantic."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing harder. He was so caught up on having everything be romantic. I was determined to break him from that mindset. I didn't mind the romance, don't get me wrong, but I couldn't wait for the day when he would forget that completely without any help from me. But right now, I was willing to overlook his constant need for romance and let him do things his way.

"So … a long shower, huh?"

He nodded seriously, walking further into the bathroom. He stopped in front of the shower, testing the temperature of the water with the hand that had been around my shoulders before stepping inside and turning so that his back was to the spray.

"A very long shower," he said before dipping his head to kiss me.

Edward slowly dropped my legs, letting me slide down his body until I was flush against him, never once breaking our kiss. His arms continued to support me, helping me to gain my footing on the slippery shower floor. Once he was sure I wasn't going to fall, his arms drew me closer before traveling lower to cup my ass, pushing our lower bodies together.

We stood like that for a long time, kissing and groping under the constant stream from the showerhead. He was still blocking most of the water from reaching me, but between the heat of his body and the heat from the steam, I was anything but cold. I enjoyed the feeling of his lips on mine, the feeling of his hands on my body, undeniably content at the moment to just be with him in any capacity.

He was the one to break the kiss. I took the opportunity to push him back so that he was out of the spray of the water, stepping forward to let the warm water hit my body. I turned around and arched my back, letting the water wet my hair.

Edward must have been disappointed with his view, because he put his hands on my hips and maneuvered around me so that we were again facing one another. He smiled and I once again took in the sight of his body, this time gloriously wet.

I brought my eyes back to his, catching his devious look. I quickly grabbed the body wash and applied some to my blue loofah before holding it up towards him. "The point of this shower, remember?"

He dropped the hand that he had raised in effort to touch me, shrugging slightly before stepping back further, giving me permission to wash his body.

I took advantage of the opportunity, running first the loofah over his chest, leaving behind a trail of soapy bubbles, then following with my free hand. I took my time spreading the bubbles around as I teased his chest with my fingers. His eyes closed and his breathing increased and I repeated my actions on both his arms.

When I stilled, Edward opened his eyes and gave me a curious look. I motioned for him to turn around and he complied, presenting me with his back. I continued my previous actions, washing him and teasing every exposed inch of skin. Satisfied that his upper body was clean, I pushed lightly on his back, wanting him to bend slightly. He got the message and leaned forward, bracing himself against the wall with his hands. I managed to spread his feet apart slightly without either of us slipping, a feat which I was immensely proud of.

I stopped for a moment, only letting my hands ghost over his back. I took in his position and I felt a rush of desire. He looked so unguarded at that moment, and I understood then why men loved to look at women like that. Well, maybe not exactly, but I had a better idea.

I took a breath to compose myself and continued to wash him, kneeling to get a better vantage point for his lower body. I didn't linger on his legs, figuring they weren't really all that dirty. I took my time with his ass, cupping and massaging everything from the top of his legs to his hips.

Knowing that both our time constraint and the capacity of our hot water heater limited our time in the shower, I moved on. "Edward, turn around."

He complied, and I was suddenly face to face, for lack of a better term, with his hardening length. I contemplated slightly with just taking him in my mouth and finishing him that way, but decided against it. We didn't have a lot of time, but we certainly had more time than that.

I continued on my quest to wash him, concluding with his manhood. I lathered my hands instead of using the loofah, spreading the bubbles over him that way. I spent more time on that particular part of his body then necessary, delighting in the changes in his breathing. I changed the pressure of my grip, earning strangled groans from his throat. He fought against the urge to thrust into my hand, finally giving in and matching the movements of his hips to the tempo of my hand.

I let him continue until I could tell he was close. I released him and stood, watching as he tried in vain to find release without the pressure of my hand.

"Bella…" he groaned, clearly less than pleased with my decision to leave him in his current state.

I backed away, pressing my back against the opposite wall and giving him the most seductive look I could. He didn't need much convincing, because he was pressed against me within seconds, hitching one leg up around his waist and testing my readiness for him.

I was surprised that he hadn't fallen, but I didn't have much time to register that thought before he pushed into me, lifting me higher on him for better leverage. My legs wrapped around his waist and my arms came around his shoulders, holding onto him so he could work to keep us standing. I can only assume that it was a difficult task because his movements were erratic as he tried to find a position where we wouldn't slip on the slick floor of the shower.

His thrusts grew more controlled as he became more confident in our position and he pressed me harder into the wall, bracing his arms around me. The coolness of the tile contrasted strongly with the warmth of his body and the steam around us, and I could feel myself starting to respond to him even more.

It wasn't long before I felt him grow and pulse inside me as he reached his peak, his groan echoing off the tile and getting lost in the rush of the running water. He slowed the movement of his hips, pushing into me fully one final time and dropping open-mouthed kisses along my neck and collarbone. My tight grip on him was twofold: I wanted to keep from falling while holding him close to convey my love for him.

He pulled back and I unwound my legs from his waist, dropping them so I could stand on my own. His hands were still braced on the wall around me, and my arms were still around his neck so that we were still pressed against one another.

Our breathing calmed and he spoke. "You didn't finish."

I shook my head slightly. He never was one to take pleasure without giving it in return.

He moved to reach for the body wash and the loofah. "And you're still dirty."

I smiled as he approached me. He started his ministrations on my body, mimicking my actions from earlier. He started with my arms and then moved to wash my back, avoiding the places I wanted him to touch most. I didn't have to wait long before his hands were all over my chest, palming my breasts with an new urgency, as if he were as aware of our time constraints as I was. He focused in on my nipples, pinching and rolling until I was desperate for breath. I squirmed against him as he lowered his hands, running his hands lower to picking up first the left one and spreading bubbles down the length of it before putting it back on the floor and picking up the right and repeating his actions. Instead of placing it back on the floor of the shower when he was done, he set my foot on the edge of the tub, opening me body further to him.

I braced myself against him, enjoying the feeling of his skin, slick against mine as he manipulated his way back up my leg. His fingers found their way to my center and I arched against him. I concentrated on his fingers as they danced around my opening, gasping as he pushed first one finger and then another into me.

He kept his eyes on mine as he worked me higher and higher toward my release. His fingers worked harder inside me, curling to reach every part of me while his thumb worked the bundle of nerves at the top of my sex.

I felt myself tumble over the edge and I shook against him. His free arm wound around my waist, supporting me as my knees weakened. He continued to move his hand against me until I relaxed against him. He withdrew his hand from me, holding me closer to him as the shower continued to thunder next to us.

"That's better," he said softly.

I waited half a minute for my breathing to return to normal and then kissed him softly.

"C'mon," I laughed. "I'm not sure how long this warm water will last."

We showered speedily, not wanting to be caught in the cold water, yet still managing to get in random touches and caresses whenever possible.

Finally though, we stepped out of the shower and I was grateful for the fluffy towels Edward had set out. I wrapped on around my body and turned, not realizing that Edward was right behind me, towel wrapped around his waist.

I looked up at him, a pout on my face. "I'm all pruney."

"And still beautiful," he laughed before kissing me.

I rolled my eyes playfully. "Not yet. But I will be."

"You're always beautiful," he told me, pulling me to him. I could feel him hardening against me again.

I pushed him away gently. "Not now, Casanova. We have to go get ready." His eyes grew sad. "And besides, we're clean now."

His eyes traveled through the doorway of the bathroom, glancing at the clock next to the bed. "We have some time. We could take another shower."

I shook my head. "I don't think our hot water heater could handle that. Go get ready. Your parents are expecting us." I pushed him gently out the door, shutting it behind him.

"Fine, but if I explode at my parent's house, it will be your fault!" I heard from the other room.

I laughed at his melodramatic tone. "I'll take that chance. You won't explode."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Christmas is a crazy time, so I'm very sorry about the delay. I managed a shower chapter, and I'm attributing the shortness of it to the fact that hot water only lasts so long. It's hard to be creative when you're working against a time constraint.

Thank you everyone for following this story and reviewing and favorite-ing and alert-ing – it's all given me warm fuzzies. I think I can now safely say that the Christmas love is done. I do have one more thing planned for Bella and Edward however… it's something that I've had planned since about chapter 2.

I'm still working on the long story … it's been slow going over the holidays, but I've got some help looking it over, so hopefully I can get back to it with renewed vigor and get it finished so I can post it. After the response here, I'm excited to see what I can do with an actual plot. Keep an eye out.


	6. Epilogue

**December 31st**

"Are you ready?"

"Almost. One more minute," I yelled over my shoulder. I was in the bathroom, putting the finishing touches on my makeup.

"Bella," Edward's voice was much closer now. "We're going to be late."

"No we're not," I promised. "And even if we were, I don't think your parents would mind."

"It's not that they wouldn't mind," he said, standing behind me and placing his hands on my hips and his chin on my shoulder, "I just don't want to keep anyone waiting."

I looked at him through the mirror. "It's a New Year's Eve party, Edward. We're not holding anything up."

He sighed, but I could tell he wasn't really annoyed. "Hurry? Please?"

"One more minute. I promise." I turned my head to kiss his cheek.

He stepped back, allowing me to finish my primping. I truly didn't have much left to do, so I threw on some sheer lip gloss before assessing myself in the mirror. My makeup was light, my hair was slightly wavy, and my dress was simple. Even for a cocktail party, I was fairly low maintenance.

I turned to face him. "Well?" I hedged.

A slow smile crossed his face and he walked back toward me. His eyes grew slightly heavy as he responded, "Bella, you are so beautiful."

His dropped his face closer to mine, intending to kiss me. I turned my head at the last minute, causing him to hit my cheek instead of his intended target.

"Ah …" I warned. "You wouldn't want to mess up all my hard work, now would you?"

His arms wound around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "I'm very tempted to ruin _all_ your hard work."

I managed to hold in my chuckle, pushing him away slightly. "Now, now … you were the one so insistent that we leave. We wouldn't want to keep your parents waiting, now would we?" I quoted him, taking a step back out of his embrace.

His eyes narrowed, weighing his choices. I took the opportunity at his hesitance, pushing past him and out of the bathroom.

I stopped, glancing back at him. "C'mon, Edward. Let's go," I called back over my shoulder. His trance broke and I hurried out of our bedroom and downstairs, grabbing my coat and purse and waiting by the door.

"I can't believe I married such a tease," he mumbled as he descended the stairs, stopping by the hall closet to retrieve his coat.

I laughed and held out my hand. "Let's go. Your parents are waiting."

He took my proffered hand and led me to the car, opening the passenger door and making sure I was situated before shutting it lightly and heading to the driver's side, starting the car and pulling smoothly out of the driveway.

"Will everyone else be there?" I asked when we were safely en route.

"I think so," he answered, running his hand through his hair, messing it even more. Instead of placing it back on the wheel, he reached over and placed it on my knee. My breath caught slightly and I tried to figure out if his actions were supposed to be a continuation of his advances in the bathroom. I shook my head slightly; his actions seemed innocent enough.

"Good," I smiled. "I haven't seen Alice in forever."

"You talk to her almost every day," he laughed.

"It's not the same," I pouted slightly. "I can't believe that she actually decided to go to Paris for the year."

"I can," Edward replied. "What I can't believe is that Jasper went with her."

"That I believe. He'd pretty much follower her anywhere, I'd bet."

Edward squeezed my knee slightly. "Would you follow me anywhere?"

"Of course. Anywhere." I turned to study his face. "You're not going anywhere, are you?"

He laughed softly. "Nope. I just wanted to be sure that I'd always have my Bella."

"You're so insecure," I teased lightly as he pulled into his parent's driveway.

He parked and gave me a look. "I'm not the only one."

"I love you."

His hand slid up my leg, coming to rest at the hem of my dress, which was slightly higher than mid thigh. "I love you, too."

I put my hand on top of his, bringing it my mouth and kissing his wrist lightly. I turned it in to a sign of affection, but I wanted to stop him before his hand made it any further up my leg. "Let's go in." I paused slightly before adding, "I want to see Alice."

His eyes dropped and I saw his head shake slightly as he got out of the car. As soon as his door shut, I laughed out loud. He looked like he had actually expected something to happen in the car in the driveway of his parent's house.

He was opening my door before I had completely composed myself, holding out his hand to help me out. "Let's go see Alice."

I smiled sweetly up at him, kissing him quickly on the cheek before running off toward the front door. I didn't bother to look behind me, but I was pretty sure Edward didn't share my enthusiasm for the night. I didn't stop to knock or ring the doorbell. I knew it wasn't necessary. Instead I let myself in, standing in the entryway, shrugging off my jacket.

"Edward and Bella are here! … Bella!" Alice had launched herself at me before I could even process her presence.

I hugged her, laughing. "Hi Alice."

"Bella! I missed you so much! It's so great to be home."

Edward had made it into the house and was closing the door behind him. "You talk to her almost every day, Alice."

She stepped back from me slightly. "It's not the same," she echoed my earlier words.

I laughed and shot Edward an 'I told you so' look. He took my jacket and hung it with his in the front closet.

"Bella, you look fantastic. Did you do this yourself?" Alice gestured to my outfit.

I blushed and shrugged slightly. "I knew I had to make you proud."

"You do," she beamed.

"I missed you too, little sister." Edward was back by my side.

Alice tore her attention to me, laughing and wrapping her hands around Edward's neck. "I missed you, Edward," she said dutifully.

He placed his hand on the small of my back as she released him. "Can I have my wife back?"

She shook her head. "You get Bella all the time."

"Where's Jasper?" he tried a different tactic.

"He's catching up with Emmett and Rosalie in the living room." Alice grabbed my hand, pulling me down the hallway. "I'm sure they'd love to see you," she called behind her.

"Alice!" I heard him yell to our retreating backs, obviously annoyed that his sister was planning to steal me away.

She pulled me into the kitchen where Esme was arranging some snacks on a plate. I laughed, turning to her. "Alice, Edward's not going to be happy with you."

She waved her hand dismissively. "He'll get over it."

"Hi, Bella," Esme greeted me warmly. She turned to Alice, "Are you giving your brother a hard time already?"

I laughed at Alice's innocent look. "I'm just talking to Bella, mom."

Esme handed Alice the finished plate. "Here. Take these to the others. I'll be out in a minute."

"If Edward thinks this means he's going to get you back, he's sorely mistaken."

I laughed and followed her into the next room, where Edward was talking with Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, and Rosalie. He stood as we entered the room and his eyes locked with mine, smiling. I smiled back, sitting on the opposite couch as Alice placed the plate on the coffee table before coming back to take a seat next to me.

I turned my attention back to Alice. "Tell me about Paris, Alice. Is it amazing?"

Out of the corner of my eye I could tell that Edward had sat back down. I tried to pay attention to Alice as she gushed about Paris, but I could feel Edward's gaze on me. I tried to ignore it, but every time I thought I might be able to listen to Alice, I felt his gaze on me even stronger. A glance out of the corner of my eye confirmed that his eyes were indeed on me. I shivered and smiled slightly, dragging my focus back to Alice, thankful that she had started talking to the whole room and not just me.

"… all the way back to our apartment," she beamed. "Right Jazz?"

Jasper nodded, affirming whatever story Alice had just told. I smiled in her direction, basing my reaction off of everyone else's.

I made the mistake of looking back at Edward, whose gaze still hadn't left me. His smile widened when I caught his eyes and I felt my self control slip. I contemplated relocating myself so that I was seated next to him but was distracted by a clanging in the doorway. It was Esme, trying valiantly to maneuver a drink cart through the doorway.

"Esme!" I jumped up, thankful for the distraction. "Let me help."

She smiled gratefully as I held the door, allowing her to push the cart through the doorway. I followed her to the opposite side of the room, helping her to arrange various bottles and glasses and garnishes.

"Thank you, Bella."

"It's no problem. You should have called from the kitchen," I told her.

I felt a warm hand on my back. "Yes, you should have." Edward had come to help.

"No matter," Esme shook her head slightly. "It's done now." She moved past us and kissed Edward lightly on the cheek. "I should go help your father. He's bringing out the dessert plates. Excuse me," her eyes sparkled.

Edward turned his head to me, his hand sliding slowly down my back. "Would you like a drink?"

I held his gaze for a moment before answering. "Sure," I breathed.

He moved toward the array of ingredients. "Anything in particular? Maybe a Goodnight Kiss? Or a Love Shot? Sweet Release, perhaps?"

His words caught me off guard and I looked at him. He pretended he didn't notice as he continued on, surveying the contents of the drink cart Esme had brought out.

"Or if you're looking for something a little … harder," his volume dropped slightly, "there's always the classic Sex on the Beach. And it looks like we could also do a Slow Comfortable Screw." He gestured to a bottle of vodka. "Maybe we can make that last one Up Against the Wall?"

My jaw dropped slightly. His voice made me slightly weak, and I struggled to keep my composure at his obvious innuendos. His sexy smirk was not helping as he waited for my response.

"Actually, water is fine for now." I moved past him toward the kitchen, stopping when I felt there was a safe distance between us. I turned back to face him. His face had fallen slightly. "You, however, might do well with a Jerkoff."

His face was torn between his arousal and confusion.

"You know," I clarified, "Jack and squirt."

Edward's eyes widened as I turned back toward the kitchen, heading to get my glass of water. Behind me I heard Emmett's laughter followed by a muttered "damn"; he must have heard the end of our conversation. I smiled widely, pleased with myself, both for being able to come up with such a comeback and for being able to resist Edward's advances.

Rosalie and Alice were in the kitchen with Esme when I entered.

"Having fun Bella?" Esme inquired.

I laughed and nodded. "I just came in for a glass of water."

Once I had the glass of water, I stayed in the kitchen, chatting with Esme, Alice, and Rosalie. I loved them all, and I was glad to be able to spend some time girl time with them. I counted myself lucky for marrying into such an awesome family.

We were in the middle of giggling over something Alice had read in Cosmo when Edward appeared in the doorway.

"Edward," I quieted my giggles long enough to greet him, pushing myself off the counter I had been leaning on.

"Did you want a glass of water, too?" Alice asked, clearly not all that happy with her brother interrupting the girl talk.

He shook his head and held his glass up slightly, looking me up and down before catching my gaze. "No, I'm good. I decided to try the drink Bella suggested."

I flushed slightly, remembering what I had suggested he try. But then I was confused. Was this his attempt at a truce? I wouldn't have thought that he would have given up quite that easily. I flashed him a smile anyway, in case he was looking to make peace.

"I just came in here to spend some time with the most beautiful women in the world. Is that a crime?" he continued, coming to stand next to me.

"I think that's a lie," Alice called his bluff. "What are you really doing in here, Edward?"

"Aw, I missed you, too, Alice," he ignored her, his face the picture of innocence. "Please, carry on."

"What at the others up to?" Rosalie asked, trying to change the subject to something that would include Edward.

He gestured to the door with his drink, using the opportunity to put his free hand on my back. "I think they're making some bets on the football games tomorrow."

Rosalie rolled her eyes slightly. "Emmett is convinced that Penn State is going to beat USC. And as much as I'd love for that to happen, I think he's an idiot."

Edward laughed. "I hope he didn't bet too much, then." As he spoke, Edward's hand slid down to my ass, squeezing it slightly.

My eyes grew wide and I sputtered on the water I was drinking. So much for a truce.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Alice asked.

I nodded, desperate to turn attention elsewhere. "I just… ah… swallowed wrong."

Alice studied me for a second and then turned back to the conversation.

He did not just do that. I turned my head to look at him, but he was carrying on a conversation with the others, not looking at all like he was groping me in front of his mother, sister, and sister-in-law. His hand continued to move, and I tried to control my shocked expression.

I reached behind me, hoping I didn't draw too much attention to myself by trying to get Edward to drop his hand. He did, and I took a deep breath, relaxing slightly. My victory was short lived, however, when I felt a hand moving up the back of my thigh. Oh God. This was worse. Much worse.

He looked like he was completely concentrated on the conversation. I couldn't even begin to process what they were talking about.

At that moment, Edward reached forward to set his empty glass on the counter of the island in front of us, dropping the hand that had been exploring my leg. When he leaned back, he replaced his hand on my body, once again on my back, pushing me forward slightly. I stumbled, not expecting it. He took a moment to situate himself behind me before pulling me back to lean against him.

As I relaxed against him, I realized he had an ulterior motive for his little move. He was still nonchalantly carrying on a conversation, but I could feel him hardening against my lower back. It seemed as though his little stunt to seduce me had backfired, and now he was trying to preserve his modesty in front of his family.

He wasn't as composed as I believed him to be. Well, if he wanted to be a tease, I could play that game. I could be a tease. And now, I had the upper hand. I smirked inwardly, feeling slightly bad about what I was going to do. But he'd been cocky and sexy all evening, and now it was my turn.

I shifted my body slightly, pressing back into him, hoping that I had created enough friction to tease him a bit. The hand that rested on my hip tightened, trying to still my movements. I felt a surge of satisfaction knowing that I could put him on edge just as easily as he did to me. I placed my hand over his on my waist, stopping my teasing for the time being.

Minutes passed and the conversation continued, with Edward still using me to block his slight problem. Feeling mischievous, I started moving slightly once again, slowly enough to look like I was fidgeting instead of looking like I was trying to drive Edward crazy. I started to make my movements more deliberate just as we heard a crash from the boys in the other room. Edward groaned gratefully.

"We should go see what the guys are doing," Esme suggested. "I hope they're not destroying the house."

Esme was the first to leave the kitchen, followed quickly by Rosalie. Alice took a second longer, turning back to us, eyebrow raised. "Coming?" she asked.

As much as I wanted to leave Edward hanging, I couldn't expose him without incriminating myself. "In a second," I tried to buy some time. "I'm just going to … get another drink. I'll be out in a second."

She smirked and for a second I was afraid she was going to call my bluff. Instead, she nodded and disappeared though the door.

As soon as she was gone, I turned to Edward, backing away slightly. "You are so bad! I can't believe … with your mother and your sister right there!" I tried to make myself sound angry, but I was more turned on than anything.

"This is your fault, you know. If you hadn't insisted we leave right away earlier …" he trailed off.

"Oh no. You cannot blame me for this one. You and your –"

"We can fix this, you know," his eyebrows rose in a silent suggestion.

My eyes grew large. "I am NOT having sex with you in your parent's kitchen!" I struggled to keep my voice down. "With your parents in the next room! You freaked out enough when we had sex in _our _kitchen, with no one around. Besides, I'm not so sure Alice isn't going to come barging through that door at any moment."

He moved toward me, and I shifted, grabbing my glass off the counter and filling it with water to keep up my story with Alice.

"I love making you all flustered."

"Yeah well …" I tried to compose myself so I could join the others. "You're going to fix that," I gestured to the obvious bulge in his pants, "- somehow-, and then you're going to join the rest of your family. And then we're going to celebrate New Year's Eve with them."

Feeling satisfied that I had made my point, I moved to pass him and exit the kitchen. He caught my free arm, drawing me to him to kiss me thoroughly. When he drew back, we were both breathless. "We'll see," he breathed.

He released me and moved to the opposite counter, leaning his hands against it and his head bowed. I could see him breathing deeply. I stood there for a moment longer, making sure that my breathing calmed before scurrying to the door, joining the rest of his family.

***

The rest of the evening passed rather uneventfully; well, at least Edward managed to keep his hands to himself, for the most part. We still got to witness Emmett trying to rap (to no avail; he sounded so white it was hilarious) and Rosalie vowing to divorce him if he didn't stop. Those kinds of events I could deal with. In fact, I found them rather amusing.

Edward was on his best behavior after the incident in the kitchen. He had managed to keep his hands mostly to himself. We still touched – a brush of our hands here, a quick kiss on my cheek there – but it was more normal behavior. There were no more suggestions of quickies in the kitchen.

So when Edward approached me around 11:30, I didn't think twice about it. We were on our best behavior now.

"Bella," he began, holding out his hand to help me off the couch I was sitting on. "I need your help."

I was confused. He sensed my hesitation. "Please?" he implored.

I took his hand; I could never deny him anything, especially when he looked at me like he did. His grin widened and he led me down the hall and up the stairs.

"Edward? Where are we going?"

He didn't respond, instead just leading me down the hallway, finally opening a door on the left and pulling me inside behind him. Before I could comprehend what was going on his lips were on my neck and his arms were around me.

"Edward …" I squirmed, trying to get away from him before I gave in. His lips felt amazing on my neck. "An hour … we can be home in an hour."

His head shook against my skin. "I want you now." His lips stopped their assault on my neck and he drew back to look at me. "Right here."

For half a second, I froze. Part of me couldn't believe what he was saying. I wasn't even sure where we were, other than the fact that we were somewhere on the second floor of his parents house, with said parents (not to mention the rest of his family) downstairs. The other part of me was ecstatic – isn't this what I wanted? Him taking control and pushing boundaries? This was definitely pushing boundaries.

He took my inaction as a passive agreement and his mouth crashed into mine, his hands in my hair. I was still shocked and could manage nothing more than moving my mouth slightly under his. My unconscious response must have spurred him on, because he deepened the kiss, drawing me closer to his body and exploring my mouth with is tongue. The sensations that flooded my body were too much, and in that moment I knew that I was going to go along with anything he suggested.

He played with the bow at the back of my neck for a moment before tugging at the ends, effectively untying the ribbon that held the bodice of my dress in place. It fell to my waist when he dropped the ribbon.

His lips left mine to trail kisses along my jaw line all the way to my ear. "If you don't want to do this, tell me to stop," he mumbled into my ear. If it were possible, he pressed himself closer to me, forcing me to backwards until my back pressed against the wall next to the door. His hands found my waist, moving upwards to run his hands over all the skin that he had exposed. "We can go back downstairs," his teeth nipped at my ear, "and celebrate with the others."

"Don't stop." I was breathing heavily, and I let out a gasp as his hand found my nipple. I had made my decision, consequences be damned. "God, please don't stop."

He drew back with the sexiest smile on his face, bringing his mouth to mine once more. I held on to him, wanting to feel him against every part of me.

When his lips started to move down to my neck to my chest, I was helpless to stop him. My hands were in his hair, half guiding him, half holding him to me. He placed a chaste kiss to each of my breasts, moving to his knees to be able kiss my stomach, running his hands down the length of my legs before reversing directions to follow them back up and under the skirt of my dress, ending their journey to rest on my hips, toying with the elastic of my panties.

He smirked up at me. "If this is going to work, these need to go," he said, pulling them down. He spread my legs slightly as I stepped out of the panties, tucking them into this pocket. "But I would hate for them to get lost."

His lifted the skirt of my dress, tucking it into what was already pooled at my waist, exposing me to him. My head dropped back against the wall and I felt him drop a kiss on my sex, shifting my legs open wider before shifting one leg over his shoulder.

I was splayed against the wall, one hand was in his hair, the other on the wall above me. I tried to muffle the moan of pleasure as he went to work, licking and sucking and nibbling over every inch of skin he could find. The last thing I wanted was for someone to hear us.

"What would… your mother say… if she saw you… with your head… between some girl's legs?" I managed between pants.

His fingers replaced his mouth, the pleasure never stopping. "Well, you're not just some girl. You're my wife." He paused as the smirk came back to his face. "And I would imagine she would be proud that her son could give his wife so much pleasure." His fingers began to move harder against me. "But if you're thinking about my mother right now, I'm doing something wrong."

His fingers hit a sensitive spot and I groaned low in my throat. I pulled his head back to me, wanting him to continue his earlier ministrations. He complied and I threw my head back once again, surrendering to the sensations he was causing. My release washed through me without warning. Edward kept his grip on my hips, never relenting in his movements. I had to work hard to stifle my moans, and my pleasure ended up being vocalized in slight whimpers.

After my body had relaxed, Edward stood and pulled me to him, grinding his hips into mine. I could feel him, hard and ready, and I wasted no time in dropping my hands to undo his belt and unzip his pants, freeing his length and pushing his pants and boxers down as far as I could reach. He didn't move to take them completely off, instead letting them drop to his ankles. He hoisted me up for better leverage, simultaneously bringing his head down to kiss me and his hips up to enter me.

I was thankful that he had had the foresight to initiate a kiss because now I was free to groan into his mouth, knowing that it would be muffled. My legs wrapped around his waist as his hips picked up speed and I felt my orgasm rushing toward me once more.

"Bella … I'm not going to last very long."

I rolled my hips into him in response, whimpering at the new sensation. He continued to thrust into me, and seconds later my second orgasm ripped through me. I bit my lip to keep myself quiet, silently riding out the waves of pleasure. I vaguely registered Edward pushing into me hard once more before his pleasure took over and he moaned into my neck.

Minutes passed as we tried to collect ourselves and calm our breathing, kissing softly. When I was pretty sure I would be able to stand, I dropped my legs from around his waist. He pulled out of me, letting me stand, but made no move to step back from me.

"I can't believe we just did that," I blushed in the darkness.

"I can't believe I finally got a hot girl into my room." Edward's eyes met mine.

I glanced past him into the darkness of the room. I could make out a desk on one side of the room, and a couch facing the windows that were flanked with bookshelves on the other. "This was your room?"

He nodded. "Now it's my dad's office, but yeah, this was my room."

I didn't know what to say so I just held his gaze. A moment passed before he bent down to kiss me slowly.

"I love you, Bella. So much," he declared as he drew back.

A lazy smile crossed my face. I would never tire of hearing those words. "I love you, too. But we should probably make ourselves decent. I'm afraid Alice might come to find us."

He laughed, but moved backwards to give me space to get straightened, pulling his pants up in the process. "She'd just be jealous that she's the only one that hasn't gotten any around like this."

I paused and looked at him curiously.

He nodded. "I'm not sure about when we were younger, but Emmett and Rosalie have done what we just did."

My eyes widened. "Really? When?" I shouldn't have been, but I was curious. It made me feel slightly better about what we had just done.

He looked slightly guilty. "Our engagement party."

My eyes grew even larger and my jaw dropped. "Emmett and Rosalie snuck away during the engagement party your parents threw for us to have sex?" I was completely blown away.

He nodded again. "I didn't know until tonight. Emmett told me. It sort of… inspired… this."

"Remind me to thank them later, then," I laughed, retying the strings of my top around my neck and smoothing the wrinkles out of my dress and combing my fingers through my hair the best I could.

"Edward? Can I have my panties back?"

His lips curved up in a smile and he shook his head. "Nope. They're mine now."

"And I'm just supposed to go commando while you carry them around in your pocket?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

My eyes narrowed at him, but he ignored my look, pulling me to him. "I'm just kidding."

I relaxed against him, kissing the underside of his jaw.

"I'll put them in my coat pocket."

"Edward!" I pulled back. Downstairs we could hear Edward's family gathering to count down to the New Year. "We don't have time for this," I sighed. "Can I please have my panties back?" I tried to put on my best pouty face.

He just shook his head.

I huffed, pushing myself away from him. I wasn't really upset at him, but I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about spending more time with Edward's family knowing that we had snuck away and Edward had left me panty-less. There was no way I was going to be able to look Esme in the eye. Downstairs everyone else had started the countdown to New Year's.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven…_

Edward caught my arm before I could reach the door. "Bella…"

_Six, five, four, three…_

He pulled me back to him and I was immediately lost in his green eyes and his musky smell. Damn him for being irresistible. I completely forgot why I was annoyed or what I was supposed to be doing. All that mattered was him.

The side of his mouth pulled into a smile before his mouth met mine, moving smoothly and gently against my lips. My arms moved up and I gripped his shoulders tightly.

_Two, one…_

After what seemed like forever, he pulled back slightly. "Happy New Year, Bella."

I smiled and pressed closer to him, bringing my mouth back to his. He kissed me for half a minute before pulling back abruptly.

"If we don't stop now, we'll never make it home."

I giggled but stepped back. He took the opportunity to cross to the other side of the room and throw a window open, letting in the cold air from outside. I wanted to follow him, but I didn't move.

"So … how do we get back downstairs without drawing attention to our absence?"

He shrugged.

"How did Emmett and Rosalie do it?"

He laughed. "Emmett went out the window."

I laughed with him. "That's not going to work for us, is it?"

"No, probably not." He shook his head. "And there are a lot less people around now. I'm sure they've noticed we're missing."

I blushed at the thought. I really didn't need everyone else knowing about our sex life.

"We'll just go back downstairs. No one will say anything."

"Emmett will," I protested.

"Emmett won't," Edward countered. "Unless he wants everyone else to know about what he did with Rosalie, he'll keep his mouth shut." He turned to shut the window.

I sighed. "Let's go then. Before we have to explain about missing even longer." I held out my hand.

He crossed the room and took it, bringing the back to his lips. "I love you."

I studied him. "Panties?" I tried one more time.

His hand tightened around mine. "I promise they'll make it home."

I let out a breath as he opened the door. I wasn't going to win that fight. He led me back down the hall and down the stairs. When we had reached the bottom, he let me go.

"You can go first, if you want."

I nodded. Best to get the humiliation over with. I gave him one more quick kiss before heading toward the living room. It took a minute for anyone to notice my presence.

"Bella!" Alice called. She glanced at me. "Where were you? You missed the countdown!"

I faltered for a second. "I was lying down." I gestured behind me. "I didn't feel well." I could feel Edward walk into the room and I heard Emmett snicker.

She studied me like she didn't quite believe my story. "Oh, well, I hope you feel better."

I nodded. "I feel much better."

Emmett's snickers got louder and I turned to glare at him. "Happy New Year, Bella," he offered.

"Yes," I called his bluff, "it's a very happy New Year." I shot a glance at Edward, who stifled a smirk. Happy New Year, indeed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** First, I'm terribly sorry about the delay. I'm a slacker. But the good news is that This is much longer than any other chapter. Props there, right? All mistakes are still mine, because this story had no beta.

Anyway, this is the last of Exchanging Gifts. I've had a blast writing it, and I hope that everyone else had as much fun reading it as I did writing it. And a special thanks to those that have been with this story from the very beginning. It's awesome. This one-shot turned into my first 'real' story (albeit with a very iffy plot), but I'm happy with the way it turned out. I'm sad to leave it behind.

I've still got the longer story (with a plot that's more than sex, I promise!) in the works, plus another one shot that popped into my head, so keep an eye out if you're interested in my stories. Thanks to everyone who has already put me on favorite author/author alert. It's stuff like that that makes me feel warm and fuzzy, because I'm pretty sure I don't deserve it.

**Add on:** I've tried to respond to most reviews in some way because I do value all input. I've gotten one or two reviews that I've questioned, and I would like to say this: if you're going to leave a less than glowing review (meaning, you have a problem with the story in some way), that's fine. Bad reviews come with the good. But please, have enough courage to sign them in some way. Even better, log into you FF account an leave them with a link to your profile. I'm not going to freak out about bad reviews. But I will address any concerns that you might bring up. What I hate the most are the "anonymous" reviews that criticize in some way. I'm willing to stand behind my work - you should be willing to stand behind your review ... you know who you are.


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